The Tomb Club
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: The gang signs up for the Secret Tomb Club, managed by UpsideDown Girl, or Queen Isis, real name Dehina, as they come to know her. But UpsideDown Girl is not so frivolous in her game. And what they don't know is... it's not just a game.
1. The Secret Tomb Club

The Tomb Club

Chapter 1: The Secret Tomb Club

The group was looking for a club to join. It was Club Week (man, was their school lame-- _Club_ Week? Seriously) , so they had to choose. Taya had joined the Dance Club, which was made up mostly of transfer students from New York, and most of them had been to Broadway at some point in their lives, and Tristan had gone off to the Amish Club (he figured that he needed a little time _away_ from technology, after he failed the math exam last week, because he'd conveniently "forgotten" to study, on account of he was trying to reach level fourteen on his video game) to join that. Ishizu and Odion were exploring, checking out the other clubs. They were always with Marik at school, but figured they should let him and his friends decide on a club themselves.

"Hiya, guys!" cried a high-pitched, slightly nasal voice. A girl swung forward from the top of a jungle gym, her knees hanging onto the bar, smiling at them. Her silvery-blonde ponytails shook and her blue eyes sparkled with laughter.

"Gaah!" Joey jumped back. "_You_ set up a club?!"

Yugi laughed. "Hey, Upside-Down Girl," he greeted her. "What's up?"

Upside-Down Girl smiled even wider, if that was possible. "Yugi, shouldn't you know by now? To me, you have to say 'What's up_side-down_'!"

Yugi laughed again. "Good one, Upside-Down Girl. You have a club here, too?"

"Yeah."

"What's the name of it?"

She pointed to the sign on the table. "Look at the banner." She brushed some loose hair out of her face.

Bakura bent down and read it aloud. "The Secret Tomb Club," he said. "Wo, that does sound fun, Upside-Down Girl."

"You guys wanna join?" she asked. She pulled out a model pyramid. "It's, like, about ancient Egypt. It's really fun. We dress up and role-play and everything! Well, _we_ would if I had any other club members."

"Oh, that does sound cool," Marik said. "Hey guys, why_ don't_ we sign up? I think it would be really fun to try. And Upside-Down Girl seems like she knows what she's doing. It'd be cool to really get to know her."

"If you're joining," Upside-Down Girl said, "then you can call me by either my real name or my codename for the club. My real name is Dehina. My codename is Queen Isis. Pick one, or call me either one when you see me, if you want." As she talked, she swung back and forth on her pole. "You don't have to; you can go right on calling me Upside-Down Girl if you like."

"Your real name is Dehina? My goodness, that's such a pretty name," Bakura told her. "Well, why on Earth would you want to be known as Upside-Down Girl instead of Dehina?"

Dehina shrugged. "Let's just say I have my reasons and leave it at that, eh? So, are you joining?"

Ishizu and Odion walked over. "Marik, you would not _believe_ some of these silly clubs," Ishizu laughed. "They have a club for _macrame_."

"Hey, Ishizu, Odion," Dehina said.

Ishizu smiled. "Hello, Upside-Down Girl. You have a club?"

"The Secret Tomb Club," she answered proudly. "It's really awesome. It's all about ancient Egypt. By the way, you can call me by my real name, Dehina, or my codename, Queen Isis, if you join. Hey, I just had a wacky idea. Why don't you two join, too?"

"Egypt, you say? Well, that does sound interesting. What do you think, Odion?"

"It would be a rather pleasant experience," Odion nodded.

"Great!" Dehina pulled out a clipboard and slid it forward. "All members, sign this. It's my club member sheet. Meetings are every day-- even weekends-- at say, 3:30 P.M., at my house, first meeting today after school."

"Okay!"


	2. The First Secret Meeting

Chapter 2: The First Secret Meeting

Everyone gathered at Dehina's house at 3:30. "Hey, everyone!" she greeted them. For once, she was on her feet. She was dressed in Egyptian clothes. She wore a long white robe, many necklaces-- made of gold, lapis lazuli, pearls-- reed sandals, kohl (black stuff Egyptians used as eyeliner), dark green eyeshadow, a black wig in a sort of Cleopatra design, and a queen's crown of Lower and Upper Egypt. "Glad ya all could make it."

"Where did you _get_ all that?" Marik asked.

"Don't worry. I didn't steal it, if that's what you're thinking. Mum's an Egyptologist, so she gives me all this stuff, she gets it from the Egyptians she works with. Well, most of it. She makes some of it."

"Drat," mumbled Yami Bakura. He's been Thief King in ancient Egypt, and thought that Dehina was going to make him happy by taking after him. "I thought you were following my footsteps."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Yami B," Dehina apologized. "Come on, guys. Did I mention you _all_ get codenames?"

"Wow, cool!' Marik said. "I wonder which one I'll get. Who goes first?"

"I write all the names." Dehina took out a scroll of papyrus paper. "See, I even have paper made from the papyrus plant, just like the ancient Egyptians!" She began to write. She wrote quickly but gracefully. She displayed it to them when she was done:

_Secret Tomb Club Members_

_Dehina Delfino-- "Queen Isis, Mistress of Magic"_

_Yugi Moto-- "Geb, God of the Earth"_

_Yami Yugi-- "Ra-Atum (Ra), Supreme God"_

_Joseph Wheeler (Joey)-- "Shu, God of Air and Light"_

_Ryou Bakura-- "Thoth, Ibis-Headed Moon God of Wisdom"_

_Yami Bakura-- "Apis, the Sacred Bull God"_

_Marik Ishtar-- "King Osiris, Green God of the Underworld"_

_Ishizu Ishtar-- "Sakhmet, Goddess of War and Destiny"_

_Odion Ishtar-- "Ptah, God of Creation and Crafts"_

_Serenity Wheeler-- "Tefenet, Goddess of Morning Dew"_

_Mai Valentine-- "Hathor, Gentle and Tough Goddess of Love"  
_

"Is everyone happy with your matches?" Dehina asked.

Silence.

"Good! Now, let's move on. Our first order of business-- dressing up and looking the part of your characters. Come with me. I have a trunk full of Egyptian stuff in the attic."

They followed her, and were soon indistinguishable from ancient Egyptian gods. Dehina smiled at her work. "Come along, now! Much to be done, much to be done! We are venturing to the palace, which is where Yami Yugi-- I mean, where Ra-Atum, the king of Egypt, lives."

"Ha!" Yami Yugi whispered to Yami Bakura. "You thought _you'd_ be the Pharaoh this time. Well, too bad, thief. I'm still the Pharaoh. _I'm still the king around here_!!!!!"

"Yeah, King of Boredom," Yami Bakura muttered, faking a yawn.

"Come along!" Dehina commanded sharply. "And watch your step! When I open the wall, it's easy to get lost!" She pulled a lever on the wall in her living room, and the wall opened to reveal a pitch-black tunnel. "Well, then? What are you all staring at me for?"

"But-- But--" Marik stuttered. He was blinking more than usual, and fast. "Isn't... this just a game, Queen Isis?"

"No, King Osiris," the Mistress of Magic answered. "I told you it would be fun. Games are not in my idea of fun."

They walked down the tunnel. The Mistress of Magic held a torch, lighting the way and leading everyone. Bakura tripped, and clung to Isis's sleeve so he wouldn't fall on the ground. "I _told_ you to watch your step, Thoth," she warned him. "I thought you were the god of wisdom, honestly!"

Suddenly, there was a noise from up ahead. Isis held the torch higher. "Show yourself-- we aren't afraid of you!"

"Sp-peak for yours-self," Bakura stammered.

The Mistress of Magic pulled Marik beside her. "King Osiris!" she yelled to him. A mummy with the head of a crocodile appeared in front of them, blocking their way. "With haste, my love! Draw your sword!"

Marik reached into the folds of his robe, frantic. "But I don't have a--" Before he could finish the sentence, however, his hand emerged from his robe holding a gleaming sword. It was a divine sword. Its hilt was made of the hide of some animal, and its blade was silver on one side, gold on the other, decorated with pearls and small marbles of lapis lazuli.

Isis drew a spear, in case she'd need to protect Marik if his attack failed to kill the mummy. "My husband!" she cried to Marik. "Prepare for battle! We must defeat this monster to get through! Raise your sword and prepare to duel!"

Marik gulped. He looked at his brilliant sword. "Prepare for battle?"


End file.
